My dictionary defines ridicule as jesting, making someone or something laughable. The dictionary’s lengthy explanation of ridicule then proceeds to spell out the nuances of several synonyms. While ridicule means making fun of someone or something, it may or may not carry the connotation of malice or hostility. The synonyms of deride or derision, in contrast, generally convey scorn or malicious contempt. To mock, or engage in mockery, implies contempt toward the other person or practice. The last almost synonymous term considered is taunting, which is ridicule that is insulting and humiliating. Finally, we might remember that satire is a work of art (movie, picture, play) which exposes “vices, follies, stupidities, abuses” to ridicule.
The shading of meaning in this closely aligned set of definitions should alert us to the dangers present in religious ridicule. Making fun of others, spoof, parody and satire are the slippery slope of humor.
“The Door” is the name of a website and a magazine that are major purveyors of religious satire. The enterprise has clearly exposed “The Door” and its staff to the dangers inherent in their business. As one of the writers, Ole Anthony, expressed it, “is satire an art, a science, or something that should require a concealed handgun permit?” The eminent sociologist, Peter Berger, has written an entire book on the comic dimensions of human experience. (Redeeming Laughter) and he regards satire as an effective weapon of moral reform. Berger believes satire can fight stupidity and delusion through its militant irony, as perhaps in treating superstitious forms of piety with exaggerated reverence and honor.
Receiving sharp pokes from outsiders generates, naturally enough, defensive reactions. When Episcopalians make fun of the Episcopal Church, I can laugh and say, “that’s funny and there is a lot of truth in that joke.” Our own pride and conceit make it easy, however, to reject with anger similar comments coming from the outsider. I fail to see the joke! Laughter can be a wonderful remedy to conceit and vanity. But laughter can also be a painful attack on the very core of the other. The difference can be very hard to see until the blow is delivered.
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